Ecology by Sophie Carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp IB Biology SL Grade 12 en-us 2017-08-29 11:24:57 UTC 2026-02-16 12:12:46 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Apple.png Topics sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183352143 Modes of nutrition 
  • Populations and Species
  • Autotrophs and Heterotrophs
  • Heterotrophic nutrition 
Communities and Ecosystems
  • Communities 
  • Ecosystems 
  • Mesocosms 
  • Chi-squared test
Energy Flow
  • Energy sources
  • Energy losses
Food chains and energy pyramids
  • Trophic levels and food chains
  • Energy pyramids
Carbon cycle
  • What is it?
  • Carbon deposition 
  • Fossil fuels 
  • Carbon release
Global warming and greenhouse effect
  • Greenhouse effect
  • Greenhouse gases
]]> 2017-08-29 11:29:06 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183352143 Populations and species sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183378483 Species: A group of organisms that can potentially inter-breed to produce fertile offsprings
Inter-breeding: Mating with organisms of your own species: fertile offsprings
Cross-breeding: Mating with organisms/individuals of another species: infertile offsprings
Population: A group of organisms of same species living in the same area at the same time ]]> 2017-08-29 13:23:36 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183378483 Autotrophs and Heterotrophs sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183380191 Autotrophs (Most plants and algae): Make their own food  (organic molecules), contain chloroplasts: photosynthesis (CO2 + H2O + sunlight --> glucose + O2)
Heterotrophs (humans and lions): Gets the food by eating  other organisms.
Heterotrophic plants and algae
Are generally autotroph but there are some exceptions:
- Meat eating plants:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcmKT5uHgL0
- Euglena: Unicellular organism; protoctists; autotroph (contains chloroplasts - carries out photosynthesis - able to produce its own organic food) and heterotroph (feeds on dead matter and ingests it via endocytosis)
For more information see:]]> 2017-08-29 13:29:24 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183380191 Heterotrophic nutrition sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183382402
  • Consumers: (ingest, digest, absorb organisms that are either alive or were killed recently) 
    • 1. Feed directly on autotrophs (bees, hummingbird,...), they are herbivores
    2. Feed on primary consumers
    3. Feed on secondary consumers
    • Detritivores: Feed on dead organic matter like feces, feathers, hairs, etc.  (ingest, digest internally - ex. earth worms, dung beetles and woodlice)
    • Saprotrophs/decomposers: Feed on dead matter (digestion is external, injestion of products, release of digestive enzymes, bacteria and fungi - ex. mucor: bread fungal species  
    ]]>     2017-08-29 13:36:11 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183382402     Communities sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183394363 Different populations living together and interacting with one-another. There can be:
    • Positive association (presence of one promotes presence of another)
    • Negative association (presence of one is detrimental to presence of another) 
    ]]>     2017-08-29 14:06:21 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/183394363     Ecosystems sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184503952 Communities form an ecosystem by its interactions with its abiotic environment (Soil, H2O, air,...). Ecosystems have the potential to be sustainable over a long period of time.]]> 2017-09-04 09:34:21 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184503952 Mesocosms sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184503980 Enclosed experimental area that is set up to explore ecological relationships. Because it is a contained experimental area, it can be closely controlled and variables monitored.
    - Sealed glass vessels are preferable because entry and exit of matter can be prevented but light can enter and heat can leave.
    - Aquatic systems are more successful than terrestrial ones.
    - Mesocosms enable all variables other than independent and dependent to be kept constant
    - Precise manipulation of independent variable can be made
    - Accurate measurement of dependent variable

    For further information and how to model a mesocosm experiment:
    http://lhicks2015.weebly.com/design-process.html ]]>     2017-09-04 09:34:33 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184503980     Chi-squared test sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184504009 Testing for association between two species:
    • No association:                        - b Ho)
    • Yes association:                      - Positive association (H1)    - Negative association (H2) 
    Process: 
    1. Create coordinate plane (tape x and y axis). Then create squares (1x1 meter) and take about 100 random squares.
    2. Create contingency table (enter information)
    3. Calculations - see the video: https://www.youtube.com/watchtime_continue=14&v=53kYOOr5Yhk
    4. Compare your calculated chi-squared number with the number of the official chi squared table (see image)                                              - If your number is greater than the one on the table, you can reject the null hypothesis.
    ]]>     2017-09-04 09:34:55 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184504009     Energy Sources sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184509388 Sunlight: 
    • Energy source for all life on  earth 
    • Absorbed by producers: convert light energy to chemical energy through photosynthesis 
    • Energy enters as sunlight and leaves a s heat (NOT CYCLED)
    2nd law of Thermodynamics: Energy can not be destroyed but transferred
    Food:
    • Consumer, detritivores and saprotrophs obatain energy from their food 
    • There is chemical energy in carbon compounds in the food --> But light is ALWAYS the initial energy source for the whole community
    ]]>     2017-09-04 10:10:00 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184509388     Energy losses sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184509630 If only 10% of the energy and biomass is transferred - what happens to the rest 90%?
    • Respiration (production of energy from ATP in mitochondria), lost as heat to the environment. Living organisms can not convert heat to other forms of energy. --> for more info see video attached
    • Growth and metabolism 
    • Not all parts are digested and eaten 
    • Excretion 
    • An organism could die before being consumed
    ]]>     2017-09-04 10:11:14 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184509630     Trophic levels and food chains sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184509682 Trophic levels:
    The position that any species takes in a food chain. Producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer and tertiary consumer are trophic levels.
    Food chains: 
    Each species in a food chain feeds on the previous one, apart from the producer at the start that makes its own food by photosynthesis. Food chains commonly contain 3-5 trophic levels because only about 10% of energy and biomass is passe on from one trophic level to another. An example for a food chain: ]]>     2017-09-04 10:11:30 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184509682     Energy pyramids sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184509704 Energy pyramids are diagrams that show how much energy flows through each trophic level in a community. It is a representation of biomass (Total mass of group of organisms ) across trophic levels (KJ/m2yr) or (KJm-2yr-1)]]> 2017-09-04 10:11:42 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184509704 What is the carbon cycle? sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184517499 The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment.
    -->     Continued availability of carbon in ecosystems depends on carbon cycling. ]]>     2017-09-04 11:06:34 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184517499     Carbon deposition sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184518675 --> where it is stored
    • Carbon is present in atmosphere as CO2 and CH4
    • Carbon is present in aquatic ecosystems as dissolved carbon dioxide and hydrogen carbonate ions (when water and CO2 combine to form carbonic acid --> dissociates to produce hydrogen carbonate ions)
    • Peat formation                    Brown material that consists of not-fully decomposed organic matter --> due to H20 being unable to drain out of soil, thus creating a waterlogged environment (rise in acidity, not suitable for decomposers and saprotrophs)
    • Limestone formation  Mollusks, reef-building: hard body parts --> When they die the soft parts easily decompose but the hard parts don't: formation of sedimentary rocks
    ]]>     2017-09-04 11:14:15 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184518675     Fossil fuels sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184520615 Organic matter deposited on earth as either crude oil, natural gas and coal over millenia due to high pressure and temperature 
    • Fossil fuel reserves are finite/limited
    • Crude oil and natural gas: formed in porous rocks 
    • Coal: Peat covered by other layers of sedimentation
    ]]>     2017-09-04 11:27:35 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184520615     Carbon release sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184522024
  • Respiration                              Carbon is released in the form of CO2  
  • Methanogenisis              Production from decaying organic matter and release of methane (CH4 --> C-form) into the atmosphere by bacteria and archeans in anaerobic conditions               -  Archaens: CH3OOH -->  CH4 + CO2  and CH4 + 4H2    -->  CH4 + 2H2O                          -  Swamps, mud, wetlands,..
  • Combustion (of carbon compounds)                                    - Release of CO2 into the atmosphere - Burning of biomass and fossil fuels (since industrial revolution)               
    • ]]>     2017-09-04 11:37:55 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184522024     Greenhouse effect sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184524899 The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.

    The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth. This process maintains the Earth’s temperature at around 33 degrees Celsius warmer than it would otherwise be, allowing life on Earth to exist.

    The problem we now face is that human activities – particularly burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), agriculture and land clearing – are increasing the concentrations of greenhouse gases. This is the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is contributing to warming of the Earth. --> Global warming

    ]]>     2017-09-04 11:58:29 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184524899     Greenhouse gases sophie_carmine https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184525974
  • Reside in the atmosphere
  • Absorb the IR radiation coming from the Earth 
  • Re-emit part of that radiation back to the Earth 
    • These are the 4 main greenhouse gases:
    - CO2 
    • High concentration (ca. 400 ppm) 
    • Lasts for a very long time       --> High effect on global warming  
    - H2O
    • High concentration 
    • Lasts for ca. 9 days                --> Not as high effect on global warming as CO2
    - CH4
    • Very small concentration
    • Lasts long in atmosphere for ca. 12 years                       --> Effects on global warming  all negligable 
    - Nitrogen oxides (NO2)  
    • Very small amount and concentration --> Effects on global warming all negligable
    ]]>     2017-09-04 12:06:33 UTC https://padlet.com/sophie_carmine/hslpp8oskexp/wish/184525974